Tag: tv

That was my thoughts when I first saw this episode all those years ago, of course as I’ve aged my fear of heights has gone.

This is also the episode where Billy creates the wrist communicators. OH MY DAYS! I needed one of those in my life and I still do. I used to walk around just talking to my wrist, pretending I was talking to Kimberley and about to save the world…of course I wasn’t but it was good to dream.

Finster creates the monster “Bones” in this episode, a terrifying concept when you think about it. A villain who can make his head come off and fly around, who wouldn’t be scared out their skin at that? Although, personally I don’t think anything in Power Rangers will ever be as terrifying as a Putty…

Those things are truly horrendous, I’m pretty sure that I wasn’t the only person to have nightmares about them. In episode two there’s a very strange fight scene where the Rangers and the Putties appear to be having a group hug, I’ve always been weirded out by that, then about 30 seconds later the Putties run away to comedic music….I still don’t know how I feel about that.

Bones can fire energy bolts from his eyes, and probably controls the time device. That’s basically the pep talk that Zordon gives the Rangers before he tells them “It’s Morphin time.” then we see the Rangers blasters which look like those giant lighters you get for lighting gas cookers etc…

Is it a lighter or a Power Rangers Blaster?

Don’t get me wrong, I laugh at some of the production values of the 1993 childrens TV show but underneath it all, it’s still a fantastic show. Episode two now out of the way, time to move onto episode three.

I watch a hell of a lot of TV, probably more than the average person. Recently I’ve found myself with quite a lot of spare time on my hands and so TV has been my go to thing to relieve the boredom.

I’ve always been a huge TV fan, ever since I was little and sat in front of the magic box every Saturday morning watching “Live and Kicking” and “The DJ Cat Show”. Since then my love for that technological marvel has grown. Over time I developed preferences, as most people do, towards the genres and styles of entertainment that are available. I love a bit of comedy, light hearted banter in a half hour show is great for taking your mind off the seriousness of life and can be more hard hitting than anticipated when it journeys into serious issues which it often does. Drama, can be ok depending on how it’s produced, it’s never my go to choice but I can tolerate it. Science Fiction is always my go to choice. Doctor Who set me on that course many years ago and the genre has given me so many great moments from Lost to Fringe to Mighty Morphin Power Rangers.

With the new Power Rangers movie about to hit cinemas in the near future I decided it was time to revisit my old friends from the beginning. August 28th 1993 saw the first ever episode entitled “Day of the Dumpster” being broadcast, I was 6 years old at the time and, whilst I might have had to wait until the first episode was broadcast in the UK many months later, the magic of that first episode is never lost on me.

Mastodon

Pterodactyl

Triceratops

Saber-Toothed Tiger

Tyrannosaurus

Everytime I hear those words, even now as a 29 year old man, it gets me excited.

When we first meet Rita she’s coming out of what can only be described as some sort of sewage pipe sticking out of the ground on the moon. When the astronauts are running away she says to them “Don’t leave! You’ll miss my coming-out party. That’s when I destroy the nearest planet!”. For a 6 year old, that woman terrified me with her voice, her look and her ability to just come across as evil with whatever plan she carried out…..she still kind of terrifies me.

The first time the Rangers go through the metamorphosis is wonderful. It fills me with some sort of unadulterated glee and excitement. I literally held my hands out and spoke along with them, it’s pure gold. I want to be a Power Ranger, I want special powers and the ability to call on a giant robotic dinosaur called a Zord. I want to save the world from giant monsters and protect the earth from a crazy lady with a big stick who lives on the moon.

When you think about the actual plot of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, there’s so many reasons why it shouldn’t work but strangely and more importantly fantastically, it does work.

Day of the Dumpster sets up what was one of my all time favourite shows, granted Power Rangers got a bit dull and after the original cast left it was not worth watching but those first few years were magic. Day of the Dumpster has two other versions which I’ve yet to see, both being unaired pilot versions of the show, perhaps I’ll get to see them at some point but right now I’m happy with what I’ve got.